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msfocusmagazine.org
Before MS, I was exhaustingly productive. 
I took on projects, hosted holidays, planned 
social events for my kids, and worked 12-hour 
days in an office. I was a natural extrovert, 
and there weren’t enough hours in the day to 
accomplish all my plans. Multiple sclerosis 
changed all of that for me.  My cerebral lesions 
specifically affected my ability to function as 
an attorney, and my fatigue turned me into 
an introvert who was out of energy by 9 a.m.  
In just a few months, I lost many of the 
things that held value for me – bedtime stories 
with my kids, professional accomplishments, 
being reliable, and having energy without 
having to take a pill.  I withdrew from my law 
firm, my PTO position, and my friends. Things 
were dark.  However, I did continue one thing 
– my neighborhood summer camp.  
The summer before my MS diagnosis, a few 
neighbors and I created a half-day, 20-kid  
summer camp called RPK Camp. As working 
parents, we scheduled RPK Camp for transition 
week (the week after school ends, but traditional 
camps haven’t yet started), so we could have 
some childcare while we attempted to work 
from home. It was a huge success – parents got 
work done, kids had fun, and neighbors  
became friends. I was committed to doing it 
again, but I wasn’t sure how I could. My neigh­
bors were flexible, and we were able to  
accommodate all my MS needs (morning only 
– not too hot; only three hours – not too tired; my 
husband – taking a week off of work to support 
me).  
Organizing RPK Camp helped me realize 
I was still capable within the limitations of my 
disease. It also helped my neighborhood  
recognize that everyone has value, even if 
they may need accommodations to participate. 
MS had left me professionally sidelined and 
too unreliable for steady volunteer work, but 
I was still able to contribute to my community. 
Each year, I enjoyed planning playful summer 
activities focusing on those experiences kids 
should have before they grow up – blowing  
gigantic bubbles, playing hide-n-go-seek, 
making a giant “mushroom” with a parachute. 
But I also focused on making those memorable 
activities inclusive for the kids I knew would 
be coming to camp. If a child was on the 
autism spectrum, allergic to nuts, selectively 
mute, obsessed with princesses, or misbehaving, 
we would adjust camp to make it work for 
them. Unlike other summer experiences, 
which lasted a week or two, our neighborhood 
was there to support kids for the long-haul. 
We recognized every child goes through  
delightful and challenging phases, and we 
welcomed them all with open arms.  
Although my health fluctuated, RPK Camp 
    Life with MS
Saving my Energy for Summer Camp
Saving my Energy for Summer Camp 
by Victoria Ippolito 

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